A Glean movie guide
Short & Sharp: The Best Under 90 Minutes
Maximum impact, minimum time.
Proof that cinematic greatness doesn't require a three-hour runtime.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Run Lola Run
A high-octane, neon-soaked race against time that never lets up for a single second.
Lola receives a phone call from her boyfriend Manni. He lost 100,000 DM in a subway train that belongs to a very bad guy. She has 20 minutes to raise this amount and meet Manni. Otherwise, he will rob a store to get the money. Three different alternatives may happen depending on some minor event along Lola's run.
- 02
Before Sunset
A masterclass in dialogue and chemistry that unfolds in near real-time on the streets of Paris.
Nine years later, Jesse travels across Europe giving readings from a book he wrote about the night he spent in Vienna with Celine. After his reading in Paris, Celine finds him, and they spend part of the day together before Jesse has to again leave for a flight. They are both in relationships now, and Jesse has a son, but as their strong feelings for each other start to return, both confess a longing for more.
- 03
Toy Story
The groundbreaking adventure that proved digital animation could have a massive, timeless heart.
Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.
- 04
What We Do in the Shadows
A riotously funny mockumentary that breathes fresh, dry-witted life into vampire lore.
Vampire housemates try to cope with the complexities of modern life and show a newly turned hipster some of the perks of being undead.
- 05
Following
Christopher Nolan’s lean debut is a twisty neo-noir that makes every one of its 69 minutes count.
Bill, an idle, unemployed aspiring writer, walks the crowded streets of London following randomly chosen strangers, a seemingly innocent entertainment that becomes dangerous when he crosses paths with a mysterious character.
- 06
Rashomon
A revolutionary drama that explores the subjective nature of truth through a single, haunting crime.
Four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.
- 07
Airplane!
A relentless barrage of sight gags and puns that remains the gold standard for cinematic parody.
An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
- 08
My Neighbor Totoro
A gentle, wondrous escape into childhood imagination from the masters at Studio Ghibli.
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
- 09
Primer
A dense, rewarding puzzle of a time-travel movie built on a shoestring budget and high intelligence.
A group of fledgling inventors discover a complex method to manipulate reality. At first, they successfully game the stock market with it, but the consequences of the invention start to catch up with them.
- 10
Paths of Glory
Stanley Kubrick’s searing anti-war masterpiece is as concise and focused as it is emotionally powerful.
A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.
- 11
Phone Booth
A claustrophobic, high-concept thriller that keeps the tension at a breaking point from start to finish.
A slick New York publicist who picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth is told that if he hangs up, he'll be killed... and the little red light from a laser rifle sight is proof that the caller isn't kidding.
- 12
The Iron Giant
A beautifully animated and deeply moving tale about friendship, choice, and humanity.
In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.